Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms.

The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PRGS.edu) is the largest public policy Ph.D. program in the nation and the only program based at an independent public policy research organization—the RAND Corporation.

Welfare Reform

This report provides initial findings from the evaluation of the Senate Bill 1041 reforms to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids program, with a focus on the implementation of the policy changes and participant outcomes.

Despite a recent slowdown, Mongolia has experienced dramatic economic growth in the 2000s. Youth labor-market success is important to Mongolia's economic future. Insights from the challenges young Mongolians face, as well as their achievements and aspirations, can help inform policy.

This report provides background on the Senate Bill (SB) 1041 reforms to the California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) program, as well as an overview of a multiyear, multicomponent evaluation of the SB 1041 policy changes.

The California Department of Social Services has funded research to determine if SB 1041 is achieving its objectives of improving participant well-being and flexibility of services, as well as if there are any unintended consequences.

Assesses how welfare reform has affected behavior, evaluating the evidence in relation to an economic model of behavior, and reveals the trade-offs that policymakers face in achieving the conflicting goals of promoting work, reducing dependency, and alleviating need among the poor.

Sir John Bourn, head of the National Audit Office, reported on the complexity of the benefits system, which he considers is one of the most important issues affecting the performance of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Portrays the plight of public policies that are subject to conflicting goals -- on the national, state, and international levels -- including welfare reform in the United States, air quality in California, and information technology around the world.

Topics

Related

Researcher Spotlight

Social Policy Researcher

Dionne Barnes-Proby is a social policy researcher at RAND, and was a child welfare social worker for several years. Her experience includes direct clinical practice with at-risk youth and families, as well as research on policy issues that impact a wide range of vulnerable populations. She…

RAND Policy Currents

The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.